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Some call her the Judy Garland of France. Some call her the female Frank Sinatra of France.

But neither comparison gets to the heart of Piaf's passionate appeal.

Like Sinatra, she had the ability to carress the words of a song -- and like Garland she had the haunting, thrilling passion. (They also shared a history of tumultuous personal lives.)

But, Piaf is incomparably a symbol of a French style and spirit of artful singing that defies easy comparison.

If you are a Francophile, you are undoubtedly familiar with Piaf, who is a legend in her native country.

If you don't know her and like to listen to foreign music, you can find translations of most of Piaf's songs on the Internet.

But she is one of those rare singers who can convery the spirit of a song and make it entrancing, even if you don't know the language it is sung in.

Piaf sets a mood that envelops you and establishes itself as authentic from the first verse.

She died relatively young in 1963, but her musical legacy is as compelling today as it was at the height of her career.

Piaf is still a towering giant.

An online reviewer notes, "Such a pleasure to hear so many songs that Ms. Piaf made famous especially, "Milord", "La Vie En Rose", and "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien". A great compilation! I only wish a word booklet had been included, but you can't have everything. Ms. Piaf's voice is more than enough!"

Yes, her voice transcends linguistic boundaries.

One of her most stirring songs -- among many -- is "Non, je ne regrette rien." As a loose comparison, it is comparable to Sinatra's signature song, "I did it my way." "Non, je ne regrette rien" embodies Piaf's perennial belief that life can be renewed with a new romance, a new promise of love: "No, I regret nothing/Neither the good, nor the bad/All begins again with you."

This proved true in her personal life, when she married -- one year before her death -- Théo Sarapo, a hairdresser turned singer, 20 years younger than Piaf.

She wrote many of the songs that she made famous, but her entire song book is evocative of the French romantic spirit and sensibility.

Her phrasing is impeccable, as is her devotion to each song that she sings.

A remarkable artist.






BUZZFLASH REVIEWS